Hair And Natural Hair Growth

Hair


Hair is a keratinized protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the dermis. The main component of hair fiber is keratin. When it comes to the length of the hair, it can be divided into three parts:

• The bulb - which is a swelling at the base which comes from the dermis.

• The root - which is the hair underneath the skin.

• The shaft - which is the hair above the skin surface.

There are also three parts in cross section, which are:

• The medulla - which is an area in the core which contains airspace and loose cells.

• The cortex - which contains densely packed keratin.

• The cuticle - which is a single layer of cells.
  

Hair types


Humans have three distinct types of hair which are:

• Lanugo - which grows on fetuses as a normal part of gestation and sheds at about 40 weeks.

• Vellus hair - which is very short, scarcely noticable and covers most of the body.

• Terminal hair - which is fully developed hair.

Grey hair and balding


The cause of older people developing grey hair is due to build up of hydrogen peroxide, which is caused by wear and tear of our hair follicles. This in turn blocks the normal synthesis of melanin, which is our hairs natural pigment. Grey hair is considered to be a characteristic of normal aging. The age when this occurs is different for each person.

In general people who are 75 years or older have grey hair and men usually become grey at a younger age than women. Some degree of scalp hair loss or thinning co-insides with old age in males and females. By the age of 50, many men are affected by male pattern baldness.



Natural Hair Growth


In the natural hair growth process, hair grows in a cycle that consists of three phases: Anagen, Categen and Telogen


Anagen - During this phase in the process of natural hair growth cycle, the growth cells in the papilla rapidly divide and create the hair
shaft which become keratinized as it pushes up and out of the follicle into the pore. However the follicle grows down into the deeper levels of the dermis (skin) to recieve nourishment. Hair grows at a rate of about a half inch per month. If you have a long anagen growth rate, you will be able to grow very long hair, but if your growth phase is short, you cannot grow very long hair. The anagen growth phase lasts between two and eight years.








Catagen - or the transitional phase last for two to four weeks. In This next stage of the natural hair growth cycle, the follicle is literally degraded and the hair stops growing. However it does not fall out. The hair follicle shrinks. The lower part is destroyed, the dermal papilla breaks away, the bulb detaches from the blood supply and the hair shaft eventually is pushed up as the follicle disintegrates.







Telogen - or resting phase is the last step of the natural hair growth cycle. The follicles goes through this stage for two to four months. During this time the hair still does not grow. 12 percent of all hairs are in this phase at any one time. After the completion of the telogen phase the hair goes back into the anagen phase. The new hair shaft is forming and the old hair is done away with. Plenty of hair is lost due to this natural growth process. This accounts for hair loss that is seen everyday, including lossing hair in the shower, and combing hair. However healthy hair follicles will replace this loss hair.

The natural hair growth cycle can be altered, and temporary or permanent hair loss can result due to many factors, such as medication, exposure to chemicals, chemotherapy, hormonal changes, nutrition factors, thyroid disease, skin disease, stress and many other factors.

As you can see our hair has a life of it's own. Through the help of follicles, hair is born, goes through the natural hair growth cycle, then dies. Thus the process repeats itself many times during the normal human life span.


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